I was induced at 40 weeks 6 days and finally gave birth to my precious little boy, Elliott. I was induced at 7am and had him at 9:09pm. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever done. Thank you for being my valentine.
I was six days past my due date on January 12th, 2018, when DH and I went in for a non-stress test and an ultrasound. It was the second round of testing we had that week and had only been two days since the first round. We had the ultrasound first and they noticed immediately that the amniotic fluid was low; we were a 2.4 when we should have been 7. We consulted with the midwives and agreed that we would go down to triage. No one really explained what was going on and we had no idea that we would very shortly be in labor and delivery.
When we got to triage, after waiting what felt like forever for the on-call midwife, we were finally checked. I was four centimeters dilated, 80% effaced. My midwife said we could take cytotec or pitocin to augment the labor. I really didn't want either of those but we picked the pitocin because it could be turned down or even shut off.
In labor and delivery, they struggled to get a vein on me and the first attempted caused it to bust. I'd never felt it before but it was very painful and the bruise is still clearing up. Finally, we got a vein and the pitocin was flowing. My midwife had told me I would be able to be up and moving around, walking around the halls and getting in the tub even with the pitocin on. But, since we were being augmented, they had to track the baby's heart rate and my contractions. Every time I moved, they would lose his heartbeat. So, after about 45 minutes, I was asked to get in bed for 40 minutes to keep track of the baby. I agreed and they positioned me in a less than comfortable, almost lying down position which put a lot of pressure on my back. What started as 40 minutes turned into the next six hours.
We got the pitocin around three and by five in the afternoon, I was at six centimeters. I remember thinking that I could do it. I worked my way through the next four centimeters and the next thing I remember is begging for the epidural. My husband was the only person with me and the lights were off and I kept begging him to help me. It was awful.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, my knowledge of labor and delivery actually existed and I realized I must be going through transition. It didn't matter. I wanted the drugs. My midwife came in to check me and found I was at eight centimeters and at that point I was ready to throw in the towel. If that was eight centimeters, how was I ever going to get to ten?
They had me on my back to check me and my contractions were every 20 seconds apart. It was like torture and the pain was so great that I thought I was dying. Someone announced that the baby's heart rate had gone from 140's into the 60's and suddenly everyone was going nuts. They put an oxygen mask on me and told me to take deep breaths because I was hyperventilating all over the place. They lost the baby's heart on the external monitor then and decided to try an internal. This failed because they couldn't get the plugs to attach to the baby's head. My nurse began pushing buttons on the pitocin and I was terrified that they were turning it up more. I was already in so much pain that I couldn't see and could hardly understand anyone. In reality, she was turning the pitocin down. After that, my body began pushing on its own. I felt fluid splash everywhere. My midwife, who was still trying to get the monitor to attach, found out I was complete and then everyone was telling me to push. Pushing was a weird sensation. On my third or forth push, my midwife gave a 1st degree episiotomy which was painful but not as bad as I expected an episiotomy or tear to hurt. After that, my son was born into the world.
Later, while I was being stitched, it was announced that rapid descent had occurred, which causes the baby to rapidly move down the birth canal and be born. This explained why I was in so much pain (in addition to pitocin) and probably why his heart rate dropped.
But somehow, this gorgeous little boy came out of me, alive and healthy, without a single problem. His apgars were 8 and 9. He cried almost immediately after being born and tried to look around the room.
Elliot Tate, born January 12th, 2018 10:23 P.M., weight 8 pounds 3 ounces and 20.25 inches long. He's perfect and his mommy and daddy are in love with him.
Re: January 2018 Birth Announcements
When we got to triage, after waiting what felt like forever for the on-call midwife, we were finally checked. I was four centimeters dilated, 80% effaced. My midwife said we could take cytotec or pitocin to augment the labor. I really didn't want either of those but we picked the pitocin because it could be turned down or even shut off.
In labor and delivery, they struggled to get a vein on me and the first attempted caused it to bust. I'd never felt it before but it was very painful and the bruise is still clearing up. Finally, we got a vein and the pitocin was flowing. My midwife had told me I would be able to be up and moving around, walking around the halls and getting in the tub even with the pitocin on. But, since we were being augmented, they had to track the baby's heart rate and my contractions. Every time I moved, they would lose his heartbeat. So, after about 45 minutes, I was asked to get in bed for 40 minutes to keep track of the baby. I agreed and they positioned me in a less than comfortable, almost lying down position which put a lot of pressure on my back. What started as 40 minutes turned into the next six hours.
We got the pitocin around three and by five in the afternoon, I was at six centimeters. I remember thinking that I could do it. I worked my way through the next four centimeters and the next thing I remember is begging for the epidural. My husband was the only person with me and the lights were off and I kept begging him to help me. It was awful.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, my knowledge of labor and delivery actually existed and I realized I must be going through transition. It didn't matter. I wanted the drugs. My midwife came in to check me and found I was at eight centimeters and at that point I was ready to throw in the towel. If that was eight centimeters, how was I ever going to get to ten?
They had me on my back to check me and my contractions were every 20 seconds apart. It was like torture and the pain was so great that I thought I was dying. Someone announced that the baby's heart rate had gone from 140's into the 60's and suddenly everyone was going nuts. They put an oxygen mask on me and told me to take deep breaths because I was hyperventilating all over the place. They lost the baby's heart on the external monitor then and decided to try an internal. This failed because they couldn't get the plugs to attach to the baby's head. My nurse began pushing buttons on the pitocin and I was terrified that they were turning it up more. I was already in so much pain that I couldn't see and could hardly understand anyone. In reality, she was turning the pitocin down. After that, my body began pushing on its own. I felt fluid splash everywhere. My midwife, who was still trying to get the monitor to attach, found out I was complete and then everyone was telling me to push. Pushing was a weird sensation. On my third or forth push, my midwife gave a 1st degree episiotomy which was painful but not as bad as I expected an episiotomy or tear to hurt. After that, my son was born into the world.
Later, while I was being stitched, it was announced that rapid descent had occurred, which causes the baby to rapidly move down the birth canal and be born. This explained why I was in so much pain (in addition to pitocin) and probably why his heart rate dropped.
But somehow, this gorgeous little boy came out of me, alive and healthy, without a single problem. His apgars were 8 and 9. He cried almost immediately after being born and tried to look around the room.
Elliot Tate, born January 12th, 2018 10:23 P.M., weight 8 pounds 3 ounces and 20.25 inches long. He's perfect and his mommy and daddy are in love with him.